Helping LARC

Radio station KQIS 102.1 is promoting a fund drive Friday, January 15, for LARC (Lafayette Association of Retarded Citizens) to help them recoup income lost due to inclement weather during Noel Acadien au Village! Acadian Village was forced to close seven of the 20 nights of the event. This was a major set back, as funds derived from the event account for 30 percent of LARC's annual budget. Click here to donate, or here for more information about LARC.

Just A Man And His Uniform...And Some Badges..Sirens..Yikes

What is it with guys impersonating cops around here? This is the third such story I've encountered since starting the blog last May. Let's look at the reported facts in the case shall we? Cody Patrick Theriot, 27, of New Iberia, arrested wearing tactical-style pants and a red and silver reflective “K-9 Search and Rescue Team” jacket. Deputies also discovered he was in possession of two official law enforcement badges, a semi-automatic handgun, riot baton, handcuffs, a police scanner and a K-9 tracking harness. Also, his vehicle was equipped with several decals commonly found on law enforcement units along with operable red and blue lights, an audible siren and a law enforcement push-style bumper. Theriot is not a commissioned officer with any law enforcement agency. That's quite an investment in pretend world. He even had it narrowed down to the K-9 squad. How exciting for him.

Read the A.P. story here.

Photo by Brett L

Bundle Up!

If you absolutely HAVE to go out in this ridiculously cold weather, you better bundle up....and lately I've really been into scarves so that's my bundle of choice. It's been a while, but today's Fashion Find are these awesome scarves from local Lafayette artist SunshineyRain. First up: this super cute, sooo soft, crocheted pink scarf. This scarf is made of natural spun bamboo, looks super warm, and for only 14 bucks, is quite a bargain.




Our 2nd scarf is totally different and also really cool. This one is made of denim and what I love about this awesome scarf is it has a very retro vibe and is WASHABLE. In fact, it gets better the more you wash it. Very cool.

-jill :)

I Do Declare...I Need Mah Mama!

Celebrity-redneck millionaire, and Louisiana ex-pat, Britney Spears, has found herself back in the headlines. We hadn't heard much from Ms. Spears lately, other than some complaints from angry fans in Australia that Brittney had lip-synced (gasp..imagine!) portions of a performance back in November. Here's a Rolling Stone article concerning that fiasco.
But now, Britney's got Man problems. Lawd! This article says that Britney done split up with Jason Trawick....who? I know y'all! Now, if I was her, I wouldn't go anywhere near someone with a name that close to trainwreck. Anyway, Brit was so distraught, she had her mother dispatched from Louisiana to comfort her. Fer real doe. Or should that be fer real dough? Whatever, it had Louisiana in the link so now it's in the Meaux. Enjoy.


Photo by loveyousave

Somebody Should Make Me These

I got grits on the brain again. And our main man, Curt Guillory, knows how to do grits right. You see, you put shrimp and cheese in the grits. It sounds easy, but Curt has some pointers:

The two most common mistakes that are made when preparing this dish are overcooking the shrimp, and allowing the grits to clump together. Grits should not hold their shape when spooned on a plate, however they should not be runny either. Grits should be thick enough to be eaten with a fork, but not a mass of starch that has to be cut to be eaten. The shrimp should be moist, tender, and flavorful when properly cooked. Using excellent quality shrimp and proper sautéing technique is key to this dish’s success.

Check out his full recipe and many food articles here.

Photo by gastroadventures

6:32 p.m.

The state of Louisiana executed a man yesterday. While most of were preparing for the onset of the "Arctic blast", and settling in to watch the BCS Championship game, Gerald Bordelon was put to death at 6:32 p.m. I realize I'm way out of my depths discussing a case and an issue such as this, so I'll tread lightly. Bordelon's victim was his 12 year old step daughter. He had also been imprisoned three times for abducting and raping women. Clearly, he was a disturbed person. I have my own opinions about the merits of the death penalty. It doesn't work as a deterrent, and I feel it lessens us as a society. Still, if it happens in the name of our State, it should at least be noted here. Everything about this story is sad.

Read more here.

Wynton

A friend once told me a story about playing trumpet through out his Jr. high and high school years. He was pretty good, and so were the other trumpet players from his school. But every year they would go to state competition, and waiting there for them, was this guy....Wynton Marsalis. It's like placing second to A. J. Foyt at the Indy 500. If you have to lose, it might as well be to the best. Freezing weekend begins after this video.

Acadian Cultural Center Top Stop

Lafayette's Acadian Cultural Center tops this list of the top 5 "great stops" between Dallas and New Orleans on Mentalfloss.com. From the article:

Located in Lafayette, LA, the Acadian Cultural Center is one of three sites dedicated to preserving and explaining Acadian culture. The Acadians in Louisiana (now called Cajuns) are decedents of French colonists who settled in Canada, only to be forced south during the Great Expulsion as a result of the French And Indian War. About 300 Acadians were forcefully deported to Louisiana (then controlled by Spain), and many more followed suit in later years. All of these influences combine to create a unique blend of culture, food, music and language amid the bayous of Louisiana.The center is actually part of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, a series of six sites that offer an incredible glimpse into history, culture and nature. At this site, you can take educational bayou rides and learn of the rich history of the region.

The next "great stop" is the Arna Bontemps African American Museum, located in Alexandria. The museum is the birthplace of Arna Wendell Bontemps, an influential American poet, author, librarian and one of the leading authorities and members of the Harlem Renaissance. I wasn't familiar with the work of Mr. Bontemps, and found it interesting that he was born in CenLa.
The rest of the "great stops" are in Shreveport and Texas, and I don't particularly care about those places.
Read on, if you must, here.

Grinder Arts Expo Saturday @ NiteTown

Visit the Grinder blog for full details and ongoing updates about the show, but we've included the basics here for your convenience:

• Grinder is Saturday, January 9th, 2010 from 3pm to 8pm (Same night as Art Walk)
• The venue is NiteTown, located at 524 Jefferson Street in downtown Lafayette, LA
• Vendor setup begins at 2pm and tear down must be complete by 8:30pm
• Table fees are $15 for a half and $25 for a whole
• Table rules and guidelines are outlined on the downloadable PDF linked above
• The cover at the door for attendees remains $5
• Must be 18 to enter, no exceptions
• To accommodate our vendors who invest lots of money and time into their work, Grinder remains a non-smoking event.
• In order to achieve our vision for the event, we do reserve the right to reject any and all exhibitor registrations without justification.
• If you are exhibiting work at Grinder for the first time, you MUST provide JPGs or a website with your work for approval.

Any questions? Please email Matt Hernandez at matthewjhernandez@gmail.com

And if you're interested in being involved with the arts community a bit more, please have a look at our new online community called LafayetteCreative.com

Shine Baby Shine

The Solar Energy lecture that was canceled in November is rescheduled for next Tuesday, the 12^th of January. The Lecture will be given by Stephen Shelton, Director of the Louisiana CleanTech Network. Please join us at the Lafayette Economic Development Authority from 1:30 to 2:30 pm or from 6:00 to 7:00 pm to learn about this exciting technology. LEDA is located at 211 E. Devalcourt St., Lafayette, 70506. For more information about the Acadiana Alternative Energy Committee and power point presentations from the previous lectures, visit our website: www.lafayette.org/aae

I Get Jokes

Textbook example of a parent being his kid's "friend" and not her parent: COVINGTON, La. -- A Louisiana father and his 12-year-old daughter were arrested for an alleged practical joke that startled motorists on an interstate highway: The father allegedly drove his pickup truck with the girl sitting in the passenger seat - bound and gagged with duct tape.

More here


Photo by Foxtongue

Listen Up Youngins!

I know it will shock and amaze some of you when I say this, but I have found some wisdom, indeed, some actual wise folks, live and are born ......outside of Louisiana. Like you, my first inclination is to repel the aliens with a stick of some sort. However, with the skyrocketing price of sticks these days, I've opted to begin listening to the outsiders instead. Sure enough, one such wise dude is Danny Barnes, musician extraordinaire, and blogger. He recently posted his thoughts on how to make a living playing music. He breaks it down to where even I could understand. And, from my limited experience, he gets it exactly right. With so many musicians here in Acadiana I thought it would be a good link to share. Plus, it gives me an excuse to post a a video of Mr. Barnes plying his trade. From the article:

if you don't have the music where you want it art-wise, you might want to go work on that, this article isn't going to help you much either. you will be better off by practicing and studying and working on your music instead. you will need to get the art pretty close to where you want it, before you should worry about making much of a living out of it.

Read more here.